Music of Queen kicks off Pavilion season

Special to The Courier

Published 7:07 pm, Thursday, April 12, 2012

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Brent Havens takes to the podium at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion to present The Music of Queen: A Rock Symphony featuring the Houston Symphony April 20 at 8 p.m. Also, delivering a rendition of Freddie Mercury’s vocals is Las Vegas star Brody Dolyniuk.

Brent Havens takes to the podium at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion to present The Music of Queen: A Rock Symphony featuring the Houston Symphony April 20 at 8 p.m. Also, delivering a rendition of Freddie

Breaking down boundaries between classic rock and classical music, conductor and arranger Brent Havens takes to the podium to present The Music of Queen: A Rock Symphony featuring the Houston Symphony April 20 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $20 for orchestra seating. Mezzanine and lawn seating are free courtesy of Devon Energy and Insperity. This event also is sponsored in part by Rico’s Restaurants. Tickets are not required for free seating. Gates open at 7 p.m.

Expanding the listening experience of Queen’s exceptional anthems, Havens combines Queen’s distinct yet familiar sound with the new musical colors of a live symphony. Amplified with stage lighting and a full rock band, Havens and his Windborne ensemble deliver both the classics, including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are the Champions” and “Another One Bites the Dust,” and the essential rarities.

“We’ve successfully merged four different groups with the orchestra and it seemed to me the next logical step in selecting a group was Queen. As always, we wanted to keep the foundation of the music as close to the originals as we could and then add additional colors to enhance what Queen had done,” said Havens. “The wonderful thing with an orchestra is that you have an entire palette of sounds to call upon.”

Delivering a fabulous rendition of Freddie Mercury’s vocals is Las Vegas star Brody Dolyniuk. He is a gifted, self-taught musician, capable of playing several instruments, with a particular knack for capturing the voices and mannerisms of classic characters from music, TV and movies. With a longing to perform the music of the many rock bands that inspired him, Dolyniuk assembled Yellow Brick Road, unquestionably Las Vegas’ most successful classic rock band.

Starting at 7 p.m., guests can enjoy pre-concert activities in the Fidelity Investments Plaza including The Pavilion Partners Arts & Crafts booth and Instrument Petting Zoo, as well as activities by Fidelity Investments, Woodforest National Bank, Montgomery County Food Bank and the Arrow 93.7 FM.

Orchestra tickets can be purchased at The Pavilion Box Office, located at 2005 Lake Robbins Drive in The Woodlands. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on event days through the start of the show. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, including Fiesta, select H-E-B and Walmart locations and Media Magic, by calling 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.woodlandscenter.org or look for The Pavilion on Facebook or Twitter.